Body implantable medical systems are known to the prior art. Such systems have taken the form of electrical stimulators having a first subsystem (a signal generator) which provides a medical agent (electrical energy) and a second subsystem (an electrode carrying lead) which delivers the medical agent to the desired body site. In other systems, the medical agent may be a medicinal fluid or infusate which is provided by a pump or reservoir and delivered to the desired body site by a catheter.
One requirement of systems of the type described above is that the providing and delivering subsystems be reliably interconnected. In the context of a body implantable electrical stimulator, the generator and lead must not only be mechanically secured to each other but must be secured in a manner which allows a reliable electrical contact between those subsystems. When fluids are to be dispensed, the subsystem interconnection must allow a fluid flow from the providing to the delivering subsystem.
Typical prior art interconnection techniques have imposed severe design constraints on techniques of body implantable medical systems. For example, and again in the context of a body implantable electrical stimulator, the increasing miniaturization of the electronics necessary to provide the desired stimulation energy has allowed the design of increasingly sophisticated signal generators of smaller size. However, the size requirements of prior art connector assemblies has limited the ability to maximize the size reduction of the overall unit. Also, the connector assemblies known to the prior art are commonly formed of polymeric materials which are far more difficult to sterilize than the hermetically sealed metal canisters which typically house the stimulator electronics. Further, typical prior art electrical stimulation connector assemblies are operator sensitive in that the contact force is established in accordance with the degree of manipulation by an operator.